COK in 2008: A Year in Review

Thank you for supporting our work throughout 2008!

This past year, COK pulled back the curtains on animal agribusiness with undercover footage exposing the hidden horrors forced upon animals in the egg and foie gras industries. Our positive outreach efforts—from our hard-hitting ads on MTV to our 30-day egg-free pledge to our campaign urging Dunkin’ Donuts to serve soy milk—continue to empower others to stand up for animals every time they sit down to eat. 

And corporations are taking notice: after corresponding with Lightlife Foods about the growing demand for animal-friendly foods, the company has committed to significantly reduce its use of eggs and will also introduce several new vegan options in early 2009!

None of the work we do on behalf of animals would be possible without the generosity of our members. You are the backbone of COK, and we’re sincerely grateful for all that you do for us—and for animals.  Please know that your contributions go a long way in helping us bring about lasting and meaningful changes for animals. And every dollar you donate in December will be doubled thanks to a $45,000 matching grant from three generous supporters – and for every gift of $100 or more, we’ll send you a free box of chocolate.  

After watching our year in review video and reading our 2008 highlights below, we hope you’ll consider making a special donation today to support our efforts to help create a more compassionate tomorrow.

Highlights from 2008: Another Year of Compassionate Action for Animals

VICTORY: Lightlife Foods Announces Plan to Use Fewer Eggs and Offer More Vegan Options:  After working with Lightlife Foods for the past several months, we’re excited to announce this all-vegetarian company has committed to using fewer eggs in its products and plans to also introduce several new vegan items in early 2009.

COK Takes the Egg Industry to Court for Consumer Fraud: In February, COK filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against the United Egg Producers and ISE America, an egg factory farm in New Jersey, for the continued used of a deceptive marketing claim. The Associated Press reported on this case, and the story hit the national news wires. The case is still pending in court.

COK Uncovers Cruelty at Foie Gras Factory Farm & City Council Passes Resolution Opposing Foie Gras Production: An investigator working undercover for COK wore a hidden camera while taking a guided tour inside Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Even though this was a scheduled, white-gloved tour of the facility, the video still demonstrates the barbarity of this industry. Shortly after gathering this footage, COK met with the Takoma Park City Council in Maryland to discuss the cruelties forced upon ducks and geese raised for foie gras. In order to produce this gourmet pâté, a pipe is shoved down the birds' throats and large quantities of food are pumped into their stomachs, causing their livers to swell up to ten times the normal size. On June 30, 2008, the Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing foie gras production and further encouraging residents "to avoid supporting this extreme form of animal cruelty." This story was covered in the Washington Post, Associated Press, DC Examiner, and the Gazette.

COK Airs 30-Second Commercials on MTV Stations Nationwide: Two of COK's hard-hitting ads —"Exploring Your Food" & "A Side of Truth"—blanketed the MTV airwaves in hundreds of cities nationwide and were viewed millions of times for an average of a single penny per impression. Both ads offer a brief tour behind the closed doors of the meat, egg, and dairy industries, and further empower viewers to stand up for animals by choosing vegetarian foods, directing them to our website, TryVeg.com, to learn more. The response to these 30-second commercials has been phenomenal with requests for our free Vegetarian Starter Guide skyrocketing as well as comments from viewers, such as this one:

"I just want to tell you I think you are the BEST website I have ever come across for a wannabe vegetarian. Thank you for the wonderful job you do educating people like me. I saw one of your veg commercials here in New York, and I was greatly affected by the truth of it. I am sure the starter guide I ordered will be a great help."

COK Launches "Egg-Free Pledge" During National Egg Month: In May, in honor of the industry-declared "National Egg Month," COK hosted our first 30 Day Egg-Free Pledge, encouraging participants to leave eggs out of their diets. More than 1,200 people signed up, and after 30 days of egg-free eating, we received tremendously positive feedback, including this note:

"Two weeks into being egg free, I felt it was so easy that I gave up all dairy. I am hopeful that I can keep it up. I want to thank you for challenging me to try egg free because it made it easier to take it to the next step."

COK Campaigns for Dunkin' Donuts to Serve Soy Milk: Dunkin' Donuts is the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain—yet, it's one of the only coffee chains in the U.S. that doesn't offer soy milk. COK is working to change that. In April, two stores near Washington, D.C. added soy milk to their menus after meeting with us and learning about the increasing demand for healthier and more humane options. COK subsequently launched a national campaign encouraging Dunkin' Donuts to serve soy milk in all locations. There are now over a dozen locations in Maryland and New York offering a dairy-free alternative, and the list continues to grow.

COK Celebrates Our Third Annual National Veggie Hot Dog Month: In response to the industry-declared National Hot Dog Day, which takes place each July, COK's celebration includes a compassionate twist: National Veggie Hot Dog Day. Now in its third year, with dozens of successful events around the country, we've expanded this single day of compassionate action to the entire month of July! Dozens of animal advocates from around the country hosted more than 30 events—from feed-ins and leafleting on busy street corners to office cook-ins and D.C.'s first ever Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest. All together, these events helped inform thousands of people about the miseries endured by animals raised for food as well as how easy and fun it is to choose a more compassionate diet.

Reaching Out in the DC-Area: We've hosted dozens of outreach events throughout the D.C.-area—including feed-ins, free vegetarian dinners and lectures, a vegan ice cream tasting, and workshops at area schools. Altogether, we've served more than 2,000 free samples of animal-friendly food and have reached out to thousands of people with a message of compassion. Spreading the message even further, several COK events garnered media attention, including articles in the Falls Church News Press, Greenbelt News-Review, Northwest Current, and Montgomery Sentinel.

Changing Menus & Changing Minds: It was a busy year for COK's Restaurant Outreach campaign. After meeting with owners, managers, and chefs as well as providing food samples and menu ideas, five more restaurants are now dishing out delicious animal-friendly meals: Asian Grill in Springfield, Va. created a new mock meat menu, Science Club expanded its menu to feature a variety of savory vegan dishes, and Moroni & Brothers and Pete's Apizza in Washington, D.C., as well as Brick Oven Pizza in Baltimore, Md. are all now offering vegan cheese pizza.

Spreading Compassion, One Letter at a Time: COK's Writers Group had more than forty letters to the editor printed in newspapers across the country, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, encouraging readers to stand up for animals every time they sit down to eat.

VegDC.com Hosts 2008 "Best Vegetarian Food" Contest: COK hosted our 2nd annual "Best Vegetarian Food Contest on VegDC.com. Over 1,000 voters picked their favorite places to feast on vegan brunch, soy cheese pizza, mock meat, and more. As reported in the Washington Post ("They Got the Vegetarian Vote," Oct. 29), Java Green was awarded our Three Green Stars award for the second year in a row for being voted as "Best Vegetarian Restaurant."